M8 motorway (general thread)

L1011

Zoney wrote: »

You are presumably driving at 120 km/h - as such without your full lights you may not be able to see ahead for what is a safe distance at that speed?

Only if your dips are very, very, very poor or improperly aligned. On a road with decent alignment - which to be honest most of motorways do have - you can see more than far enough ahead on dips on a dark night to never use the beams. Remember your dips are often only 5w less, just differently aligned - and are specifically covering the road in front!

Drove back from Cork in the wee small hours recently and the only times I used my beams were between Cullahill and Portlaoise in parts and to remind truck drivers with their full beams on the other side that they were blinding me!

netwhizkid

murphaph wrote: »

Wasn't a silver A4 estate or a black A6 saloon was it?

It was black yes, but I think it was a new A4 but it went out so fast it may have also been an A6. It had those new weird looking zig zag lights installed!

Sponge Bob

Lads, is this about Audi driving riffraff or the road ???

Danno

Here are some photos from my drive from Cullohill to Ballacolla this afternoon...

178 - Northbound on the N8 after the M8/N8 Junction, I turned right and passed beside the overbridge under construction. The photo shows the road is nearing completion to go over the bridge

179 - The third bridge northbound over the M8 (beside Cullohill GAA field) is open. I took this photo from the top of the bridge looking North/Northeast

180 - Looking south from the same bridge in 179.

181 - The completed bridge.

182 - This overbridge about halfway between Cullohill and Ballacolla is no where near completion. This bridge is located at... http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.841247,-7.498169&spn=0.072581,0.219383&t=h&z=12 ...the letter "s" in "Cannonswood".

Danno

183 - A closer look at the unfinished bridge, looking south.

184 - Looking northbound from the unfinished bridge at Cannonswood Cross.

185 - The newly opened underbridge along the R433 between Rathdowney and Ballacolla. A roadsweeper there clears the road of loose chippings.

marious

Lads are flying through the job, anybody knows how much will be the toll on it?

Amtmann

In or around €2 I think. I'm quite impressed with the progress too. Thanks very much for the photos Danno!

Roryhy

It's great to see progress on this scheme, given it's importance it's been pretty difficult to come across information on it

Gunth

Great to see progress. For a while it looked like this section was grinding to a halt.

Tech3

Roryhy wrote: »

It's great to see progress on this scheme, given it's importance it's been pretty difficult to come across information on it

Some progress on the scheme a month ago on the Community and Transport forum:

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61597492&postcount=292

larryone

I drove around the southern sections a little yesterday, took a few photos, but they're mostly covered by what Danno threw up, and mine are poorer quality. Used my gps traces to put it on openstreetmap.
http://osm.org/go/es2OZHP

childoforpheus

Drove Cork to Dublin yesterday and noticed new emergency phones on the Cashel to Culahill scheme. About time these started to appear on redesignated schemes.

BluntGuy

childoforpheus wrote: »

Drove Cork to Dublin yesterday and noticed new emergency phones on the Cashel to Culahill scheme. About time these started to appear on redesignated schemes.

Those phones have actually been there since opening.

I drove the entire M8 on Thursday and no phones have appeared on any of the other stretches.

glanman

Haven't seen it anywhere else but why is the road closed around new inn/cashel? How much extra is it adding to the journey? Will it cause major headaches on Sunday for the AI final?

Amtmann

Glanman, this must be in relation to the development at junction 8, which is about making that junction free-flow for the McDonalds/Topaz development. Annoying that the M8 might be closed until mid-November for this - and yes, it probably will adversely affect match traffic on Sunday. See: http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/traffic/story.asp?id=104048

glanman

Furet wrote: »

Glanman, this must be in relation to the development at junction 8, which is about making that junction free-flow for the McDonalds/Topaz development. Shocking that the M8 might be closed until mid-November for this - and yes, it probably will adversely affect match traffic on Sunday.

Oh right, never heard about that. Have you got any links to this development? Are they using the existing bridge or building another one(I think that would make three in the space of 300 yards!)

Amtmann

They are using the existing bridge and just adding two new ramps. Unfortunately there's no website (that I know of) which provides any details of the project. I might get up that way over the coming weekend and take a few photos. And yes, the new junction 8 will be right on top of junction 9 - not ideal!

glanman

That would be cool Furet, thanks. Any news stories or anything on it?

Amtmann

glanman wrote: »

That would be cool Furet, thanks. Any news stories or anything on it?

Not a dickiebird except that when the building started there was a big furore with the local councillors all out in force trumpeting the development. Thing is, an official NRA Motorway Service Area is still to be provided about 5km north of Cashel which would be much better altogether than this McDonalds/Topaz thing. But that has been delayed. Its EIS, including maps, drawings, etc., is here (scroll down): http://www.nra.ie/Publications/EISPublications/

damoz

Gunth wrote: »

I drive Cork to Dublin at least once a month and I have never used my full lights on the motorway. Is there a reason for needing your full lights on while travelling on a motorway? I understand that from Cullahill to Portlaoise they are needed at times.

several... unlit trailers (have come across 2 on the M8), tractors (multiple), wildlife (including deer!) .... lots of reasons to use headlights. If you cant stop your vehicle within the beam of you lights then you need to slow down or put on your headlighs. Dipped beams only when oncoming traffic or cars in front of you.

glanman

Furet wrote: »

Not a dickiebird except that when the building started there was a big furore with the local councillors all out in force trumpeting the development. Thing is, an official NRA Motorway Service Area is still to be provided about 5km north of Cashel which would be much better altogether than this McDonalds/Topaz thing. But that has been delayed. Its EIS, including maps, drawings, etc., is here (scroll down): http://www.nra.ie/Publications/EISPublications/

Jes that is mad. Theres only about 10km between the two sites. I thought NRA/An Bord Pleanala decided where service stations go and limited them. Competition would be good though as if there is only one I would expect it to be robbery for fuel and food!

I take it that developer of this new site is paying for the new ramps etc...

Gunth

damoz wrote: »

several... unlit trailers (have come across 2 on the M8), tractors (multiple), wildlife (including deer!) .... lots of reasons to use headlights. If you cant stop your vehicle within the beam of you lights then you need to slow down or put on your headlighs. Dipped beams only when oncoming traffic or cars in front of you.

I will make the assumption that the trailors were parked not on the hard shoulder or in one of the lanes but in their allocated parking areas. Tractors have tail lights. As for deer they will be more likely be found in fenced areas with warning signs. Stopping a car basing the stopping distance on light range is a new one for me. Do cars not have varying brakes, tyre quality or are we all driving the same cars? To add to your point one could also encounter low flying aircraft.

Zoney

Gunth wrote: »

Stopping a car basing the stopping distance on light range is a new one for me. Do cars not have varying brakes, tyre quality or are we all driving the same cars?

Take a look at the Rules of the Road good driving practice, driving at night section.

Drive at a speed that allows you to stop within the distance covered by your lights. Assuming good driving conditions on an unlit road, the headlights of a typical car let you see for about 100 metres. Dipped lights will let you see for about 30 metres and a car travelling at 100km/h will cover this distance in approximately a second.

Even if the particulars would differ for particular cars, it is clear from the order of magnitude of the figures quoted that dipped lights are less than sufficient when driving at 120 km/h.

damoz

Gunth wrote: »

I will make the assumption that the trailors were parked not on the hard shoulder or in one of the lanes but in their allocated parking areas. Tractors have tail lights. As for deer they will be more likely be found in fenced areas with warning signs. Stopping a car basing the stopping distance on light range is a new one for me. Do cars not have varying brakes, tyre quality or are we all driving the same cars? To add to your point one could also encounter low flying aircraft.

see Zoneys post. I was just pointing out that anyone driving on a motorway should understand the rules of the road. I hope this thread has been educational at least, and you will start using headlights when appropiate.

btw - the trailers were moving on the carriageway behind cars.. dipped headlights and i would have risked not seeing them at all until too late.

Gunth

Does everyone follow the 'Rules of the Road' or they own version? We will have to agree to disagree.

Amtmann

Yes, agree to disagree and let's get back on topic now please.

Amtmann

Cashel Bypass junction 8 developments:



The junction 8 northbound offslip is under construction, shown here:


The site itself is very unadvanced:



Some restrictions on the southbound carriageway:

Amtmann

Some curious advertising on the Cashel to Cullahill scheme:


New County signage on the Cashel-Mitchelstown scheme:



Former 'Garda Only' bay is now a parking area, close to junction 12:


New delineation on the Glanmire Bypass:



The Knockmealdowns west of New Inn, between junctions 10 and 9, southbound:

Chris_533976

Are the speed limits on the Glanmire bypass still 100 and 120 or is it all 120 now?

marious

100 and AFAIK will stay 100 forever